2010 Archiveshttp://jibblescribbits.com/table/2010-articles/april/
Fri, 09 Dec 2016 17:16:06 +0000Joomla! 1.5 - Open Source Content Managementen-gbWe should have re-seeded the playoffs for round 2http://jibblescribbits.com/2010-articles/april/can-we-re-seed-the-entire-playoffs-in-round-2.html
http://jibblescribbits.com/2010-articles/april/can-we-re-seed-the-entire-playoffs-in-round-2.htmlAfter the Habs stunned the Caps in game 7 of the opening round I made a snarky tweet (shocking, I know)

Could we re-seed the playoffs? SJ-MTL, CHI-PHI, VAN-BOS, PIT-DET? Seriously, the WC is ridiculously superior to the EC.

I didn't think this was all that controversial, but somehow the guy who runs a Pens-centric blog took exception to that comment. I don't want to start some sort of blog-flame war, but he argued that the East is far superior to the west, with statements like this just patently absurd one:

The Flyer even injured are better than CHI & DET . I haven't even covered the Bruins.

Now just about anyone who's watched more than a game of the Western Conference teams this season knows that this is so preposterous that it isn't even worth arguing against, but the question does remain.. How much better are the West's top four than the East's?

More after the jump

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jibblescribbits@gmail.com (Jibblescribbits)AprilThu, 29 Apr 2010 15:56:37 +0000The Avs '09-'10 season in reviewhttp://jibblescribbits.com/2010-articles/april/the-avs-09-10-season-in-review-awards.html
http://jibblescribbits.com/2010-articles/april/the-avs-09-10-season-in-review-awards.html(this was supposed to be published a few days ago, but I've been sick for the last 2-3 days.)

So it's time to clean out the 'ol locker, and look back on the season. Every season has ups and downs, but this season has been especially fun. The Avs started to shed and move on from the glory days of Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg, and are starting to move into the glory days of Paul Stastny and Matt Duchene. In the days, weeks, and months ahead we'll start looking at what the Avs need to do to repeat and surpass the success of this season, and the improvements that need to be made. But now's not the time to look at the warts, now's a time of reflection, appreciation and instant nostalgia.

So it's fitting that the season started with the end of the Joe Sakic dynasty, culminating with the Joe Sakic night. Coming off a last place finish and 3rd overall pick, this was supposed to be a rebuilding year, and Joe Sakic Night was supposed to be one of the few highlights of the season. It was one of the highlights of the season, but there were a lot more. In fact I'll be doing a top-10 '09-'10 Avs moments in the upcoming weeks. This is what's known as lazy filler. Admit it, you are all curious as to what the 10 moments are huh? Here's a hint: Anderson's 51-save OT playoff shutout: it's on the list.

This season was supposed to be one of patience and stuggle. Instead we were blessed with a season of rebirth and revelation. The Avs baptised themselves on the ice, and came out with a new identity on the other side.

More after the jump

]]>jibblescribbits@gmail.com (Jibblescribbits)AprilMon, 26 Apr 2010 14:34:56 +0000Great Season Boyshttp://jibblescribbits.com/2010-articles/april/great-season-boys.html
http://jibblescribbits.com/2010-articles/april/great-season-boys.htmlEvery year at the end of the season I look in the metaphysical mirror and ask mysalef "Did I have fun with that?" It the answer is no then it's time to stop watching next season, or do something different.

The answer tonight... unequivically yes. What a great fun season. And watching these players grown up is going to be fun for the next few years. The Avs are on their way to good places.

Congratulations to the Sharks, who earned their way into the second round. No more hard feelings towards Rob Blake, and none towards Sharks fans. I've (virtually) done my handshakes. Good series guys.

More talk tomorrow, but that was a great season. ]]>jibblescribbits@gmail.com (Jibblescribbits)AprilSun, 25 Apr 2010 05:32:38 +0000Sharks expose Avs fatal flawhttp://jibblescribbits.com/2010-articles/april/sharks-expose-avs-fatal-flaw.html
http://jibblescribbits.com/2010-articles/april/sharks-expose-avs-fatal-flaw.htmlStats junkies, like Behind the Net, have said that the Avs propensity for being outshot, especially at even strength and with the score tied, is a fatal flaw of the Avs that will come back to bite them in the ass. Well they have been right. The Sharks are really taking advantage of that flaw, to the tune of outshooting the Avs 5,000,000 - 35 at even strength this series (ok it's actually 327-165 I might be a little off, that's just how it's felt). Not surprisingly the Avs are 1-3 in those games and the only win is thanks to a gargantuan effort by Craig Anderson in net and one of the flukiest goals you'll ever see. Also in those 4 games the Avs have exactly 5 Even strength goals.. all in game 2. They have 0 even strength goals in the last 3 games. Quite simply the Avs are being absolutely dominated.

So the question is, why do the Avs give up so many more shots than they take? Avs fans who have watched games this season have taken some umbrage to the idea that it's the skill at the forward position. Now that's certainly a problem for the Avs, as they are missing Milan Hejduk, Peter Mueller and David Jones. Three of the Avs better players. But it can't all be injuries either, and it's happened all season. Personally I think it's the defense, and the inability to make passes through the neutral zone.

Adding insult to injury: Evgeny Nabokov returned home from the game last night to find Dan Boyle's car parked in his garage.

Can you win the Conn Smythe in the third game of the post season? Probably not, but if you can, Andy made the case.

The Avalanche are wanted for grand larceny in the state of California. Don't worry, even if they are arrested Anderson will bail them out.

That was the most incredible live sporting event I have ever witnessed in my entire life, certainly the most spectacular individual effort. The Sharks and their fanbase have to be wondering if that net is regulation size or what. Anderson has to be a wanted man in Silicon Valley for grand larceny, because that was just an incredible individual performance.I am going to have a sore throat from all the cheering, and most of i was just "AN-DY! AN-DY!" he deserved every bit of euphoric awkwardness as the crowed serenaded him with his own name. (And his teammates should have come out and joined in, as they were watching just as much as the crowd was.)

I have no virus blockers on my computer, just a background picture of Andy.

And honestly, this has to be the most bizarrely rewarding ending to a Denver teams playoff game since Ernest Byner dropped the ball in '89 for the Cleveland Browns. Normally I'm pretty sympathetic to guys who have unlucky plays at the wrong time, like Steve Smith, or Steve Bartman, or Scott Norwood. But I am having a tough time having any sympathy for Dan Boyle. The guy took a dirty slew foot on Alex Semin in the Olympics, and had another one on Galiardi in game 2 (that i cannot find on the internet). Karma folks. My nephew asked his mom directly after the goal "Is that guy going to get fired now?" That's just spectacular.

Dan Boyle's great great grandfather, William P Boyle was a gunfighter in Elk Town, CA. He was killed in a gun duel. The death was ruled a suicide.

Denver Post: Terri Frei Terri Frei points out how the Avs, ok Anderson, killing that opening penalty set the tone for the game. He also praises TJ Galiardi.

Denver Post: Mark Kiszla Kiszla talks about some different Avs game last night, one I apparently missed, where Duchene (1A, 0 shots on goal) was the fearless rookie and Paul Stastny (2 assists, 2 SoG) somehow didn't impress him, even on that last shift where he, Galiardi and Stewart cycled the puck brilliantly and won the game. Apparently creating a goal in the last minute of a tie playoff game isn't clutch enough or something.

Mercury News: THE AVS GOT LUCKY! San Jose was pinned in their zone for like 1:00 on that shift. That's how you control your own luck sometimes. Bad luck happens more often when you let the other team dominate you. And the Sharks were dominated on that last shift.

]]>jibblescribbits@gmail.com (Jibblescribbits)AprilThu, 15 Apr 2010 13:32:36 +0000Outstandinghttp://jibblescribbits.com/2010-articles/april/outstanding.html
http://jibblescribbits.com/2010-articles/april/outstanding.htmlGod what a great night, not just for the Avs, but for hockey. A monumental night as every single game was close, and every single underdog won.Ottawa beat Pittsburgh (and Fleury looked atrocious in that game). Philly beat New Jersey, with a key role in the game being played by Ian Laperriere. Then the Coyotes beat the Wings, and an internet meme went big time as the #throwthesnake movement paid off with a snake on the ice. Former and current Avs had a big night tonight (Morris also had two assists, and Wolski had a goal too). Every single game was close too. a great night for hockey.

The highlight of the night, other than a snake being thrown on the ice in Phoenix, was Chris Stewart getting the puck off of Rob Blake's toe giving the Avs the 2-1 win. The goal was the result of a monstrous forecheck by the Stewart-Stastny-Galiardi line, and the Avs really took it to the Sharks on that shift. A great shift.

But that wasn't the only great shift the Avs had all night. In fact, one of the most encouraging aspects of this win is that Anderson didn't have to steal the game. Andy was great, especially in the first 3 minutes or so, but after that he didn't have to bail the Avs out for the rest of the game.

Instead the Avs really took it to the Sharks, and looked like the better team for much of the game. The second period especially was a textbook way to take the hometown team out of the game. The Avs stifled (you could even say trapped) the Sharks attack at the blueline, and really just frustrated the Sharks. This had an obvious effect on the Sharks, who started to push a little and took penalties, and the crowd; who started to to boo the Sharks. If the Avs can get the Sharks crowd to boo them this series could turn the Avs direction.

Look I like Joe Thornton, but his quote today was an awful one: "I don't necessarily believe in [Joe carrying the team] so much ... Everybody knows that the most important position is goaltending and Nabby's a big part of this team." Well guess what,

Well Nabokov was great tonight. You know who else is a Nabokov was outstanding tonight, and the Sharks still lost. big part of the Sharks: Joe Thornton. The Setoguchi-Pavelski-Clowe line was easily the Sharks best line. Let's keep it that way.

All in all it was a great night for hockey, and a great night for the Avs.

]]>jibblescribbits@gmail.com (Jibblescribbits)AprilThu, 15 Apr 2010 05:18:49 +0000Avs-Sharks series previewhttp://jibblescribbits.com/2010-articles/april/avs-sharks-series-preview.html
http://jibblescribbits.com/2010-articles/april/avs-sharks-series-preview.htmlI have never ever thought of Avs-Sharks as having much of a rivalry, but the Avs and Sharks do have a little bit of a playoff history. The Avs took the first two series ('99, '02) including a classic in '02. Peter Forsberg scored the last two goals of the series (OT winner in game 6, only goal in game 7) and Roy got a 1-0 game 7 shutout to bring the Avs back from down 3-2 and break the Sharks hearts. The Sharks finally got on the board in the series with a 4-2 series win in '04 that had five 1-goal games (and game 6 was 3-1). So the Avs and sharks actually have some exciting series under their belt.

For the Sharks, that '04 team was the beginning of their current run of success. They had Patrick Marleau and Evgeny Nabokov, but hadn't yet acquired Joe Thornton. The Avs were at the tail end of their run of dominance, with all the Avs greats (Sakic, Forsberg, etc) still on the roster save Roy and Blake. Strangely enough also playing for the Sharks in that '04 series: Scott Hannan and Tom Preissing.

There's a lot of previews that breaks down the Avs and Sharks different positions and situations, so I'm going to do something a little different. I'm going to look at 5 questions I think are important for this series. Before checking my preview out I recommend you taking a look at some of the other previews out there:

]]>jibblescribbits@gmail.com (Jibblescribbits)AprilWed, 14 Apr 2010 04:11:29 +0000A Fresh Slatehttp://jibblescribbits.com/2010-articles/april/a-fresh-slate.html
http://jibblescribbits.com/2010-articles/april/a-fresh-slate.htmlThe first game of the regular season was Joe Sakic night, October 1st 2009, coincidentally enough against the San Jose Sharks. The game was on VS, and VS had this archaic policy of joining west coast games in progress, so you can be forgiven if you think that little over the course of the season.

The season, as fun as it is, is a six month grind, obviously more so for players, but it can be quite the grind for fans too, even those who love hockey as much as most of the people who actually have found this little nook of the interwebs. It can be very easy to get caught up in some of the more negative aspects. It's easy to let the negative stiff, like controversies (head shots!), marginal hits, bad calls (AAAAAAAAAAUGER), losing streaks, etc can occupy the mind and forget about all the fun over the course of the regular season. Then let's not forget about petty feuds that happen between the fan bases, or all the stupid hockey "columns" written by general columnists who watch a couple games during the season, but still think they are experts.

Every season there are dates that every hockey fan looks forward to like a beloved holiday. Opening Day/Night. The Winter Classic, The All-Star Game/Winter Olympics, The Trade deadline. And the beginning of the post season.